Still Life With Windmill
Signed Print

Although still life painting has been practiced since ancient times, its particular mode of representation has never ranked highest in the hierarchy of art. Offering sublime scenes of prosperity and temporality, the genre was often dismissed as a creative exercise. Lichtenstein embraces its decorative qualities, rendering his Six Still Lifes according to a pronounced commercial aesthetic.

Historically, still lifes would provide the public with allegorical depictions of different cultures and eras. Correspondingly, Still Life With Windmilldepicts a characteristically Dutch image. A pitcher, lemons and a small bottle of writing ink is positioned on a table in front of an open window. Beyond the windowpane a scene capturing a green and yellow field with a black and white windmill unfolds.

Lichtenstein’s Still Life With Windmill presents a dual composition. It’s anchored by the windmill outside, as well as the items inside the room. Still Life With Windmillis the most stylistically consistent print of the series. It is a colourfully figurative portrait that mimics the layout of historical landscape paintings, with the added symbolism of still lifes.